His wife, Laura, didn\u2019t stay long after the funeral. She left her two-year-old daughter, Sophie, with me and disappeared with a wealthier man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I raised Sophie alone in Daniel\u2019s small house. Money was tight, and I worked whatever jobs I could find just to give her a normal life. She never complained, never asked for more than we could afford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When prom season came, I knew how important it was for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I couldn\u2019t buy her a fancy dress, so I pulled out my old sewing machine and spent nights making one by hand. When Sophie tried it on, her eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is the most beautiful dress I\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That moment meant everything to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But just as she was twirling in front of the mirror\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
there was a knock at the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I opened it, my heart stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was Laura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She walked in confidently, dressed in designer clothes, her perfume filling the room as if she had never left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a forced smile, she hugged Sophie and said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI brought you something special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From her bag, she pulled out a stunning, expensive dress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she glanced at the one I had made \u2014 and her expression changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t wear that,\u201d she said coldly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople will laugh. Wear this instead \u2014 a real dress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Something didn\u2019t feel right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, a part of me wanted to believe she had come back for her daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But then\u2026 an envelope slipped from her bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sophie picked it up and noticed her own name written on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Curious, she opened it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Within seconds, her face went pale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She realized the truth \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
her mother hadn\u2019t come back out of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She had come back for something else\u2026 something far worse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"